Celtics 106-93 Cavs
Celtics 109-102 Cavs
See? When the Celtics just play a normal game, they beat the Cavs because they are the better team. Certainly possible the Celtics let another game slip away but I doubt it. They're poised to finish this in 5 and I think they will.
Knicks 106-111 Pacers
Knicks 89-121 Pacers
The Knicks are down to the fumes, while it feels like the Pacers are getting healthier and deeper. Brunson is still a monster (MVP of the playoffs, so far?) and still quite capable of keeping this series alive, but I just don't see how the Knicks win this without Randle, Onunoby, Robinson and Bogdanovic. Don't like to complain about the refs--and I like the mid-season changes to let the games get more physical--but the problem is that the calls now seem kinda random. This series in particular has a ton of moments where you go, 'Wait, you called that? You let them beat each other up all the way down the court and then called that?' In general I prefer swallowing the whistle and not stopping for free throws every 30 seconds, but that did create a clearer template of what the refs were looking for. I never know what the refs are gonna call and that's not exactly a great leap forward. I still feel like the Pacers have more legs and should win 2 of the next 3 games but the refs could still play a part.
West
Thunder 101-105 Mavs
Thunder 100-96 Mavs
Whoa! Game Four was one of the most puzzling games I've ever watched. The Mavs were great, did everything they wanted at both ends, had a nice lead throughout, the crowd was going nuts, while the Thunder struggled at every phase, no one shot well, the defense was spotty and they are seemingly incapable of getting an offensive rebound....and yet with 4 minutes to go, the Mavs were up by 3....wtf? How is the game close? Frankly, if the Mavs had made some FT's, they would've won by 20--this game would've been long over by the end of the 3rd quarter. Worth pointing out that Luka didn't really do much and Kyrie was playmaking more than getting buckets, I guess that's why they just didn't have the advantage on points, but neither of them played badly and the Mavs were pretty much in control all the way. I will say, the Thunder did a good job of keeping the Mavs from running away with the game (well, they gave the Mavs plenty of chances to score at the FT line) and as the clock wound down, the Thunder got hot enough to get themselves back in it. But, still, I watched the whole game and I still can't believe the Mavs didn't win by double digits. The Thunder are struggling against the Mavs' suddenly all-world defense but an interesting thing is that the entire Thunder roster is struggling right now, no one is abysmal but none of them are playing well and that is weird because the Thunder's super power is that they never really stop scoring--somebody's getting buckets! On the other side, PJ Washington and Derek Jones Jr are playing out of their minds and while the Mavs aren't exactly running up the score, no one is playing badly over there. This series is a puzzle, I don't really understand what I'm looking at: feels like the Thunder are naturally the better team but they're not taking the most advantage of their chances; meanwhile it feels like the Mavs are playing some of their best ball right now and yet the series is still tie up. (Oh, and throw in the ref stuff from above--this series is all over the place in terms of flow because the refs are randomly appearing) This is going 7, right?
Nuggets 117-90 Wolves
Nuggets 115-107 Wolves
Yeah, I knew the Nuggets were too good to get swept. But Jamal Murray clearly isn't 100%, so I knew they were in trouble. But the Wolves mailed in Game Three and never got going in Game Four, so we are tied up going back to Denver. So, are the Nuggets back to normal? Well, Murray is not tip top and Michael Porter Jr is still just a minor piece, so the Wolves still have the firepower to get the Nuggets off-balance. My gut is the Nuggets are the better team, Jokic is the best player and they will win Game Five and Game Seven back home.
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